Modeling clay
- Thread starter joleyred
- Start date
Hello Tim.
Dab the area where you want the image with the clay, leaving a waxy surface.
Dust over the waxy area with a cotton ball that has been dipped in talcum powder.
Blow off any excess powder, leaving a thin coating in the area.
Warm the modeling clay to room temperature, 75- 90 degrees.
Press the modeling clay into the existing engraved image to " pick-up" the design.
Carefully press the clay and design into the desired talcum/wax area where you want the design.
Gently press your modeling clay master into this area, and cleanly lift it straight up.
I suggest you practice this on a blank practice plate first in order to get some practice with the procedure.
If you want a "hands safe" image you might consider scribing the delicate wax print before engraving.
Best of luck with it, It's a good system for making duplications of existing work.
Dab the area where you want the image with the clay, leaving a waxy surface.
Dust over the waxy area with a cotton ball that has been dipped in talcum powder.
Blow off any excess powder, leaving a thin coating in the area.
Warm the modeling clay to room temperature, 75- 90 degrees.
Press the modeling clay into the existing engraved image to " pick-up" the design.
Carefully press the clay and design into the desired talcum/wax area where you want the design.
Gently press your modeling clay master into this area, and cleanly lift it straight up.
I suggest you practice this on a blank practice plate first in order to get some practice with the procedure.
If you want a "hands safe" image you might consider scribing the delicate wax print before engraving.
Best of luck with it, It's a good system for making duplications of existing work.
Last edited:
AllenClapp
Elite Cafe Member
Brian Powley showed a neat trick in the video made at one of Scott Pilkington's Engrave-In weekends a few years ago. It is on YouTube. He covered a variety of subjects including gold line inlay techniques and engraver pricing issues. The total video is a little over an hour long.
Brian dabbed modeling clay on the surface of the cut design area, layed a piece of clear packing tape over the area and gently rubbed it to pick up the clay residue, moved the tape to the desired area, gently burnished the tape to transfer the clay residue, and applied a cold blue solution with a saturated cotton swab to blue the design onto the desired area. You MUST be gentle with the swab to keep from damaging the thin clay residue film, but you end up with a line image that will not rub off if you touch it while engraving.
Brian dabbed modeling clay on the surface of the cut design area, layed a piece of clear packing tape over the area and gently rubbed it to pick up the clay residue, moved the tape to the desired area, gently burnished the tape to transfer the clay residue, and applied a cold blue solution with a saturated cotton swab to blue the design onto the desired area. You MUST be gentle with the swab to keep from damaging the thin clay residue film, but you end up with a line image that will not rub off if you touch it while engraving.
FANCYGUN
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Another way of doing this technique is to once you transferred the clay image to the metal, build a clay dam around the area.
Now dilute the cold blue about 50-50. This slow down the coloring and makes sort of a dye out of it. Pour the solution into the dammed area and watch it carefully. As soon as you see the image appear with the blue, Dump it out.
This eliminates the possibility of smearing the clay as you brush the blue on it.
Nowadays i just find using printing ink and tape a whole lot faster and easier
Now dilute the cold blue about 50-50. This slow down the coloring and makes sort of a dye out of it. Pour the solution into the dammed area and watch it carefully. As soon as you see the image appear with the blue, Dump it out.
This eliminates the possibility of smearing the clay as you brush the blue on it.
Nowadays i just find using printing ink and tape a whole lot faster and easier
AllenClapp
Elite Cafe Member
Do I correctly assume that you use a heat gun to speed up the drying of the printer's ink?
FANCYGUN
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
No Allen. Just dust it with a brush and talcum powder. Instantly dry ……poof
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